Andrew Luck and LeBron James are the most valuable American pro athletes

There is a difference between great and valuable. Great players with superior organizations aren’t as valuable as players with organizations that would bottom out if they left. Tom Brady may be the greatest quarterback in NFL history, but if he retired, the Patriots are prepared for life without him. If Steph Curry left the Warriors, they would still win plenty of games with Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

When it comes to the most valuable American professional athletes, Colin thinks the two most valuable are LeBron James and Andrew Luck. Both play for chaotic organizations that are only competitive because of their presence. When LeBron left Cleveland for Miami in 2011, the Cavs won 19 games after winning 63 the previous year.

Similarly, Andrew Luck has literally propped up a disastrous owner, bad GM and awful defense since he entered the NFL. If he ends up missing this season, the Colts would be lucky to win 2 games. That is the definition of valuable.

In the final phase of Tom Brady’s career, the whispers will keep getting louder

40-year-old Tom Brady is coming off another Super Bowl win, but when the Pats were trailing 28-3 Colin started to hear the whispers. ‘Brady’s finished.’ ‘He’s lost it.’ Unfortunately for Brady, as he continues to age, the whispers are only going to increase every time he doesn’t play well. Colin calls it the Whisper Tunnel phase of his career.

Brady can’t be the best quarterback on the planet forever, and he’s played bad games in his 20’s and 30’s, but when older quarterbacks make mistakes, people are naturally going to jump to the conclusion that his poor play is due to his age and declining physical skills. It’s never going to be said to his face, but a narrative will be built that that the Patriots are better off without him. It won’t be this year, and may not happen next year, but eventually the whispers will become loud enough that they’ll push him out the door.